Platform miniature golf game

ABSTRACT

A platform miniature golf game including a generally flat platform having side and end walls extending completely about the platform, and a plurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediate the side walls dividing the platform into a plurality of adjacent simulated fairways. Additional transversely extending walls spaced from the end walls adjacent each end of the platform provide at least one green at each end of the fairways and separate the greens from the fairways except for openings in the transversely extending walls which provide passageways for passage of a ball from at least two of the fairways to each green at each end of the fairways.

United States Patent 1 Schuelke [111 3,868,111 Feb. 25, 1975 72nd St.,Downers Grove, Ill. 60515 22 Filed: Sept. 10, 1973 21 App]. No.: 395,644

[52] US. Cl 273/87 C [51] Int. Cl. A63f 7/06 [58] Field of Search273/87, 87.2, 87.4, 176 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 711,979 10/1902 Knight273/87.2 1,510,385 9/1924 273/87.2 1,818,749 811%! Pittler 273/176 G1,875,198 8/1932 Nagai 273/87 B UX 1,952,624 3/1934 lnman et a1. 273/176E 2,827,299 3/1958 Dean 273/87.2 X 3,038,726 6/1962 I-lesidence 273/176F 3,360,265 12/1967 Yabroudy 273/176 E X D83,110 1/1931 Kimmins 273/87 DX Dl57,950 4/1950 Goldstein 273/87 D X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS537,202 4/1955 Belgium 273/87.2

349,816 6/1931 Great Britain 273/176 G Primary Examiner-Richard C.Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Harry G. Strappello Attorney, Agent, orFirm--Donnelly, Maky, Renner & Otto [57] ABSTRACT A platform miniaturegolf game including a generally flat platform having side and end wallsextending completely about the platform, and a plurality of spaced apartlongitudinally extending walls intermediate the side walls dividing theplatform into a plurality of adjacent simulated fairways. Additionaltransversely extending walls spaced from the end walls adjacent each endof the platform provide at least one green at each end of the fairwaysand separate the greens from the fairways except for openings in thetransversely extending walls which provide passageways for passage of aball from at'least two of the fairways to each green at each end of thefairways.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures iPATENlTEB FEB 2 5 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 1PLATFORM MINIATURE GOLF GAME SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to a platform-type miniature golf game and inparticular to such a golf game in which there are a plurality of golftees and at least one fairway and green and cup combination.

Another purpose is a miniature golf game of the type described in whichthere are a plurality of fairways with each fairway being common to atleast one green and cup combination.

Another purpose is a platform golf game of the type described which isreliably constructed.

Another purpose is a platform-type miniature golf game in whichgenerally parallel fairways are defined on top of a platform with eachfairway having simulated golf hazards and being accessible to at leastone green.

Another purpose is a miniature golf game of the type described which mayuse a conventional small ball, for example a marble, in combination witha club of like size and shape.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings andclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrateddiagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the miniature golf platformdescribed herein,

FIG. 2 is a substantially enlarged view of the club and ball,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the platform illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a side view of the platform shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4,there may be a generally fiat platform 10, somewhat rectangular inshape, supported by a plurality of legs 12, preferably one in eachcorner. There is a peripheral wall extending about the platform made upof sides 14 and 16 and ends 18 and 20. Preferably, the platform and thelegs may be formed of wood or of a molded plastic and the top of thetable or platform 10 is covered with a suitable feltlike material, forexample a green felt which is common to pool tables.

The top of the platform 10 may be divided into a plurality of fairways.For example, there may be parallel walls 22, 24 and 26 which divide aportion of the platform top into four simulated fairways. At each end ofthe platform 10 there is a pair of simulated green and cup combinations,there being four such green and cup combinations indicated at 30, 32, 34and 36. Walls 38 and 40 divide the green and cup combinations 30-34 fromthe fairways. There are openings in the walls 38 and 40 so that there isaccess from each of the fairways to one of the green and cupcombinations. These openings are illustrated particularly in FIG. 1 andwill be described in detail hereinafter.

FIG. 2 illustrates the details of the ball and club. The ball 42 may beof the size of a marble or the like and may be suitably colored white.The club will be of a compatible size and shape and may have a head 44and a shaft 46, with a handle 48 at one end of the shaft. Preferably,the club head will have no loft.

ways, with the tees being marks on top of the felt with an arrow at eachtee indicating the directionof the fairway or the direction of thegreen. For example, the first tee is indicated at 50 and the player mustfirst move the ball from the tee over a bridge 52, toward a tunnel 54 atthe opposite end of the fairway. The bridge 52 may pass over a waterhazard or the like. After passing through the tunnel. 54, the ball mustpass through one of the openings 56 in wall 40, which gives the playeraccess to green and cup combination 36.

After completing the first hole the player starts at the second tee,indicated at 58, and must first drive the ball between two outwardlyextending projections 60, much in the nature of trees, which are placedon opposite sides of the entrance to the fairway. After passing throughthe projections 60 the player must move the ball between a pair ofupstanding abutments 62 which define a lane. At the end of the lane is acovered bridge 64 and the ball must be driven through this area and thenthrough an opening 66 in wall 38 so that the player may have access togreen and cup combination 30.

The thirdtee is indicated at 68 and the golfer must first go on eitherside of a central projection 70 and then on either side of a secondcentral projection 72. In each case the central projections 70 and 72are bounded by outwardly extending projections 74 and 76 so that ineffect there are two parallel paths that the golfer may take from thetee 68 toward the green. A covered lane 78 is near the end of the thirdfairway and after passing through the covered lane 78 the player mustmove the ball through an opening 80 into the green and cup combination34.

The fourth tee is indicated at 82 and the player must first move theball between a pair of abutments 84, similar to the abutments62, andthen through a tunnel 86 to one of three openings 88 at the far end ofthe fourth fairway. After passing through one of the openings 88 theplayer is in position on green 32.

The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth fairways are merely the reverse ofthe first four fairways. The fifth tee is indicated at 90, the sixth teeat 92, the seventh tee at 94 and the eighth tee at 96. Thus, the playerreverses the direction of play and in effect has a completely differentsimulated fairway as the hazards must be taken in reverse order and fromthe opposite direction.

In this connection, a simulated sand trap stands at the entrance togreen 34 from the fifth fairway.

The ninth tee is adjacent the first tee and is indicated at 98. In thiscase the ninth fairway may be a combination of the first fairway,bypassing cup 36, and retuming along the second fairway to cup 30. Inlike manner, the 18th fairway may be a combination of any otherfairways.

As described above, the platform legs and walls may be made of wood ormay be formed of a suitable plastic material. In likemanner the variousobstacles or hazards on the fairways may be formed of plastic or wood orany other material which is suitable for easy fabrication.

What is important in the invention is the fact that the fairways arecommon to more than one tee and to more than one green and cupcombination. Thus, a complete l8-hole golf round may be simulated by alesser number of fairways. It is not necessary to have 18 fairways, andan l8-hole course may be simulated by the four 3 fairways shown. In thisconnection, it is not necessary to have only the ninth and eighteenthholes using combinations of fairways, as other holes can also besimulated by a combination of more than one of the various fairwaysshown.

The platform may be of a size and shape to be permanently installed in'a given area or it may be of the type which can be folded up and storeduntil it is to be used. In this connection, in some applications theplatform may be of the type which can set directly on a floor, it may beset on legs of the type shown, or it may be set upon a table top. Whatis important is to provide a platform arranged in a manner to have anumber of fairways, common green and cup combinations for the fairways,and a plurality of tees on the fairways such that an entire l8-hole golfround may be simulated with a minimum. number of individual structuralfairways.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and describedherein, it should be realized that there may be many modifications,substitutions and alterations thereto.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A platform miniature golf game comprising a generally flat platformhaving side and end walls extending completely about said platform, aplurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediatesaid side walls dividing said platform into a plurality of simulatedfairways between said side walls and longitudinally extending walls,said fairways being separated from each other only by saidlongitudinally extending wells, additional transversely extending wallsspaced from said end walls adjacenteach end of said platform providingat least one green at each end of said fairways, a recessed cup in eachsaid green, said transversely extending walls separating said greensfrom said fairways, and openings in said transversely extending wallsproviding passageways from at least two of said fairways to each greenateach end of said fairways,

whereby during use of said game a ball may be caused to pass throughsaid openings from at least two of said fairways to each green at eachend of said fairways.

2. The game of claim 1 wherein there are at least two i greens at eachend of said fairways separated by a wall therebetween, and there are atleast two fairways hav-. ing communication with one of said greens ateach end of said fairways and two additional fairways havingcommunication with the other of said greens at each end of said fairwaysthrough openings in said transversely extending walls.

3. The game of claim 2 wherein one of said longitudinally extendingwalls extends the full length of said platform to provide said wallseparating said two greens at each end of said fairways.

4. The game of claim 1 further comprising obstacle means on each fairwayforming simulated golf hazards, and means defining a simulated golf teeat each end of said fairway.

5. The game of claim 4 further comprising means defining more than onesimulated golf tee at least at one end of one of said fairways.

1. A platform miniature golf game comprising a generally flat platformhaving side and end walls extending completely about said platform, aplurality of spaced apart longitudinally extending walls intermediatesaid side walls dividing said platform into a plurality of simulatedfairways between said side walls and longitudinally extending walls,said fairways being separated from each other only by saidlongitudinally extending walls, additional transversely extending wallsspaced from said end walls adjacent each end of said platform providingat least one green at each end of said fairways, a recessed cup in eachsaid green, said transversely extending walls separating said greensfrom said fairways, and openings in said transversely extending wallsproviding passageways from at least two of said fairways to each greenat each end of said fairways, whereby during use of said game a ball maybe caused to pass through said openings from at least two of saidfairways to each green at each end of said fairways.
 2. The game ofclaim 1 wherein there are at least two greens at each end of saidfairways separated by a wall therebetween, and there are at least twofairways having communication with one of said greens at each end ofsaid fairways and two additional fairways having communication with theother of said greens at each end of said fairways through openings insaid transversely extending walls.
 3. The game of claim 2 wherein one ofsaid longitudinally extending walls extends the full length of saidplatform to provide said wall separating said two greens at each end ofsaid fairways.
 4. The game of claim 1 further comprising obstacle meanson each fairway forming simulated golf hazards, and means defining asimulated golf tee at each end of said fairway.
 5. The game of claim 4further comprising means defining more than one simulated golf tee atleast at one end of one of said fairways.